HITCHES, delay and anxiety characterised the primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the early hours of Wednesday to elect the candidate of the party for the 2023 presidential election.
The apparent rowdiness caused by the situation led to a series of announcements by the party leaders in charge of security to order a temporary suspension of voting by delegates at about 3.31 a.m.
This followed the refusal of people who had no business being at the voting point to comply with the directive of the announcers that such people should leave.
The stoppage of voting was followed by a fresh announcement of the procedure for the exercise, among which were that delegates should drop their ballot in the box after casting their ballot and that they should not take the ballot to agents of aspirants.
The hitches became most pronounced at about 3.18 a.m. when one of the female announcers said delegates were not complying with the earlier directive that they should only cast their ballots at two ends at the arena.
Besides, it was also announced that whereas the instruction was that one of the agents of aspirant could assist a delegate who could not write the name of his candidate of choice, the process was abused by delegates to undermine the process. It was equally observed that more than two agents of aspirants were seen in some of the voting centres, with some delegates taking pictures of their ballots to prove they had done the needful before the agents of the aspirants.
As of 3.45 a.m., delegates from only three states had voted. It is recalled that the APC had shifted the conduct of the primary more than four times due to its inability to put its house in order. Despite threats by the officials detailed to provide security, the people failed to leave the voting point creating rowdy scenes.
Also, hoodlums and miscreants gained entry into the Eagle Square, venue of the primary and it took security agents some time to dislodge them. Hitches, delay at APC primary There were also allegations that some agents were inducing some of the delegates, in a bid to curry more votes for their aspirants.
Voting later resumed at 4.00 a.m.
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